SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Alistair MacGregor

  • Member of Parliament
  • Caucus Chair
  • NDP
  • Cowichan—Malahat—Langford
  • British Columbia
  • Voting Attendance: 66%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $140,733.69

  • Government Page
  • May/6/24 12:43:45 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my Conservative colleague missed a real opportunity in his speech, which is to call out the real elephant in the room when it comes to inflation, and that is corporate greed. Those members like to go on and on about the carbon tax, but conveniently ignore that, since 2019, oil and gas companies have seen their net profits go up by over 1000%. Grocery retailers have seen their profit margins double, their net profits double. If we look at our farmers, their input costs have gone up. That is why farm debt has gone up so much over the last 20 years and that is why the consumers at the other end are getting screwed. When are the Conservatives going to get serious about calling out the corporate greed? Are they going to be like the Liberals and continue the deference that we have seen over the last 40 years through successive Liberal and Conservative governments?
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  • Dec/5/23 2:30:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, food prices are not going down. A record number of Canadians are turning to food banks for their meals. Before the doors open at Bridges to Hope Food Bank in St. John's, there is already a line-up waiting to collect food hampers. Meanwhile, big grocers like Sobeys, which was here yesterday, are seeing heaps of excess profit, all while offering a nickel to their employees. The Liberals are failing to lower food prices. When are they going to crack down on the corporate greed that is driving Canadians to food banks?
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  • Oct/17/23 4:52:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the problem I have with the motion that is being brought forward by the Conservatives today is that it ignores the real cause of inflation in Canada. We only need to look at publicly available figures to see that in the last three years, in whatever corporate sector we want to name, their profits have skyrocketed over the last three years. With the Bank of Canada, the old saying is that when the only tool one has is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. In response to that corporate greed-driven inflation, the Bank of Canada raises interest rates, and that is why we are seeing the pain and suffering. The Conservatives want to completely ignore corporate greed. That is okay. If they want to defend corporate Canada against the interests of their own constituents, I am fine with that, but the Liberals cannot be let off the hook here. There is an incredible amount of wealth being generated in Canada, but it is going to fewer and fewer people. I want to know why the Liberals are not doing more to tackle corporate greed, which is hurting too many Canadian families.
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  • Oct/6/23 11:48:49 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is Thanksgiving weekend and three out of five Canadians are being forced to take healthy food out of their carts because of the cost. After two years of inaction, the Liberals' out-of-touch solution is to leave it up to rich grocery CEOs. We know Conservatives have no serious plans to confront corporate greed. A year ago, the NDP successfully launched an investigation into food prices and now we have a bill that will lower prices, not just stabilize them. Will the Liberals do the right thing and support the NDP's plan to lower food prices?
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  • Apr/27/23 8:50:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, well, yes, there is spending more and getting less. There is spending more and getting less at the gas pump. That is Imperial Oil. That is Shell. There is spending more and getting less at the grocery store. That is Loblaws. That is Empire. That is Metro. There is spending more and getting less with one's mortgage payment. That is CIBC, RBC and TD. I appreciate the member's concern on this issue. I just think that her arguments are misplaced. It is capitalism. It is corporate greed. If we start taking that on, we will get results for people.
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  • Mar/6/23 2:50:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are really worried about keeping up with the high cost of their groceries, and the prices just keep going up. While people are stretching their budgets to handle growing costs, rich corporations and grocery chains are making massive profits. Last week, the European Central Bank expressed concerns that CEOs are using the cost of living crisis and inflation to hike their prices, and the Bank of Canada is admitting to having the same fears. Will the Liberals finally admit that rich CEOs and corporate greed are helping drive up food prices, and will they make them pay what they owe?
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  • Feb/13/23 2:44:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are doing everything right, but they are still having to stretch their budgets to keep up with rising food costs. All the while, grocery companies are making billions. The math is not adding up. All parties agreed with the NDP to initiate a greedflation study, but the Liberals have continued to stand by while CEOs are raking in record profits. People want the government to hold grocery chains accountable for their role in food prices. Why do the Liberals let grocery CEOs off the hook, letting them wriggle out of their responsibilities and refusing to charge a windfall profits tax?
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  • Feb/2/23 2:46:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are making tough choices about what they can and cannot afford because grocery prices are so unbelievably high. Today, Loblaws decided to stop the price freeze they put in place under considerable public pressure. This proves that grocery CEOs can control what people pay. The government has to take a stand against the corporate greed that is hurting Canadian families. Enough is enough. When are the Liberals going to put in place a windfall profits tax against corporate greed and put that money back into the pockets of Canadian families, who need it?
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  • Oct/28/22 11:46:41 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, families are being forced to turn to food banks at record rates because they cannot keep up with rising food prices. People are angry that their wages stay the same while rich CEOs are driving up costs to make millions. The Liberals have a responsibility to support Canadians. Instead, they have let CEOs hide their massive profits behind inflation. When will the Liberals tackle corporate greed in the grocery sector to help families with their food bills?
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  • Oct/17/22 2:30:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, while grocery CEOs are making millions of dollars in bonuses, Canadians have been making difficult choices about what groceries they can afford. Today, after pressure from the NDP, Loblaws showed that it is possible to freeze prices, but it needs to be forced to do it. This afternoon the Conservatives and the Liberals have an opportunity to help people instead of the rich CEOs who are profiting off of struggling Canadians. Will the government admit that it has let corporate greed go unchecked by finally voting with the NDP to defend Canadian families?
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